One of the biggest issues you run into when DIY-ing your copy is getting constructive feedback. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or not, there’s always that voice in the back of your head that’s wondering if you got it right.
Did you hit all the right notes? Did you pull the right psychological levels? What will make your copy convert better? Did you miss anything?
In those early stages of building a business, DIYing your copy is a great way to save on expenses—hiring a professional copywriter isn’t (and shouldn’t be) a cheap investment. But that doesn’t mean tapping into their expertise is completely off the table.
Many copywriters offer copy audits, hourly editing sessions, or half-day intensives for DIY budgets.
(Pssst…LEARN ABOUT BOOKING A DIY-FRIENDLY COPY TUNE-UP + EDITING SESSION.)
These offers are GOLD—but there’s a catch. The copywriter can only work with what you give them.
What you need to bring to the table
First thing first: You need to provide a written draft of your copy in either a Word doc or Google Doc. This allows the copywriter to make line edits and leave comments on specific sections. Leaving comments and editing a PDF, or worse, a designed page, makes it impossible to move sections and sentences around or insert suggested copy.
HOT TIP: You should always write your copy in a text doc first. Do not write directly within your website template.
Next, you need to give your copywriter as much context as possible about your business, goals, and audience. Share relevant research, testimonials, surveys, and prep work you completed before you sat down to write.
If your copywriter doesn’t provide their own questionnaire, I highly suggest filling out the Brand Strategy MEGA Questionnaire + Trello Board Template. This questionnaire (and visual board) is the ideal tool to work out and document your Business 101s: Purpose, Perception, Personality, Audience, Voice/Tone, Promotion/Reach, Offers, Pricing, and even your About/Bio details. (It’s called MEGA for a reason.)
If your copywriter does have their own Qs, you can quickly copy/paste your answers from the MEGA doc and call it a day.
What kind of feedback can you expect from your copywriter?
The amount of information varies depending on the service, but in general, your copywriter will probably provide feedback on the following areas:
Page Organization
Order of (copy)operations matters a lot—especially when it comes to your homepage, sales, and services pages. You have to hit psychological sales levers in a specific pattern if you want to give your copy the highest chance of converting.
Missing Information
You know the ins and outs of your offers but your audience doesn’t. When you’re uber close to what you do, it’s easy to breeze past essential details. The biggest missing-info-offender I see is always services/offer pages. Given that these pages are where the buying decision is made, you can’t afford not to check all the boxes–even the ones you can’t see. This is why getting an outsider’s P.O.V. on what would make your offer more “sellable” is super valuable.
Articulating what makes you different/better/the “one”
You have to make the case for why your experiences, education, or perspective make you the best choice for your ideal person. This content section will never feel ostentatious or braggy, even if writing out your list of accomplishments makes you cringe. If you were about to make a four to five-figure investment, wouldn’t you want to know the person you’re paying has all the markings of someone who knows what they’re doing? Yes, yes you would.
Getting more specific about *your* audience’s thoughts
Generalized copy, generally speaks to no one. In the era of AI-generated content, copy that merely scratches the surface isn’t going to cut it anymore. The only way to stand out is to get hyper-specific and lean into the talking points so specific to your ideal client or customer’s inner dialogue that it feels like you’re in the room standing next to them. (Also read: Top Copywriting & Content Trends To Watch)
Who should you never get feedback from?
Your mom. Or BFF. Unless your mom and BFF have a background in online marketing. Writing persuasive copywriting for the web is nothing like what you learned in high school. Even if the person you ask for feedback works in your field, they aren’t reading your copy through the lens of a marketer or salesperson. They are a great person to use to test your site (e.g. Sit them down and ask them to go through your site and complete an action/booking while you observe them in silence) but they are not your go-to for professional copywriting feedback.
Ready for another pair of 👀 on your DIY Copywriting?
Copy Tune-Up + Editing
Perfect for the DIY-er on a budget. Button up your copy with my copy edits or get a diagnosis on what’s not working—and how to fix it!
Okay, so you’re doing this thing. (Yes, champ!) You’ve got the hutzpah to take a templated framework and adapt it for your needs…but, dang, it would be nice to have someone check your work. You’ve got a couple of questions (or 20) and wish someone could help you figure out a better way to say what you’re trying to get across in paragraph three…send me your docs and let’s hop on Zoom to hash it out. Ideal for website copy, email copy, landing pages, short and long-form sales pages.
What You Walk Away With
- COPY AUDIT + DIAGNOSIS (ONE SITE, ONE SALES PAGE, OR ONE EMAIL SEQUENCE)
- 1:1 WALKTHROUGH + COPYEDITS
- 1-HOUR SESSION RECORDING
- POST-MORTEM NOTES + ACTION PLAN
- 2-WEEKS OF EMAIL SUPPORT
- 20% OFF BP SHOP OR 10% OFF FUTURE SERVICES
Investment: $350
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